Thursday nights – these are our worship nights for our team. Unfortunately, most of our team is musically not gifted, plus none of us brought instruments so our worship nights consists of playlists from iPods and portable speakers on the rooftop. We max the volume til our speakers are straining and the songs become a little staticky. It's beautiful.
We ended tonight with 'God of this City'. These are the lyrics:
You're the God of this city. You're the King of these people. You're the Lord of this nation. You are.
You're the Light in this darkness. You're the Hope to the hopeless. You're the peace to the restless. You are.
There is no one like our God.
For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city.
I understand the fervor for which people have sung this song back home. I love the city of Raleigh, and I know He has greater things for that city than I can imagine. Tonight, those lyrics took a whole new meaning.
He answered my longings and questions and doubts I blogged about a couple of weeks ago – is Jesus enough for the people of India?
Of course I knew the answer. The Lord constantly solidifies His foundations in my heart. But tonight I felt it in my bones. Here were 13 Americans on a rooftop in the middle of an Indian city. We've each, in our own broken and redeeming story, been plucked from the United States to land at this specific time at this specific place with these specific people for a specific purpose. There isn't a random factor to it. It's all ordained. It's all orchestrated. We shouted these words from the rooftop. These words, undoubtedly, resonated for a specific city back home for each person, but He opened our hearts to this city here and now. Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in India. These words transcend beyond the city of Raleigh because He transcends beyond the city of Raleigh. He is worthy of the praise there AND is worthy of the praise here.
Nothing could have prepared me for the Race because no one can teach me experience. No one could make me understand that traveling 8,000 miles away from home would bring me 8,000 miles closer to the Father's heart. The same Father whose presence dwells heavily in Raleigh hovered over and in the buildings of India tonight. Before we even signed up for the Race, He was here. He IS here. And long after we journey to Nepal, He will remain here.
The people of India are a beautiful nation. But they are just as lost as the United States. Confusion and neglect reign here. Jesus is faithful and victorious to conquer all because He has already conquered all.
I crave His presence. Psalm 27:4 says, One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. The reality is He is EVERYWHERE. One for whom the heavens stretch to contain finds it a small matter to dwell in this place called Earth. I crave His presence but His presence is here in India, His presence is in your homes in the United States. Can you feel it? Do you desire it? Do you crave it? Open your heart to Him because you'll find He's been waiting all this time.
